10 Tips to Survive the Back to School Transition

This post was contributed by Amie of Playful Matters.

Does the Back to School Transition Stress You Out?

Are you ready for the kids to go back to school? Or maybe you are getting prepared to homeschool? It is an exciting, busy, nervous and uncertain time of the year. The summer vacation has been wonderful for days of endless play and connecting as a family, but sad to say, that time is drawing to a close.

Hi! I am Amie from the blog Playful Matters. I am a Mama to four very playful kids, ranging down from a teen, a Kindergartner and twin Preschoolers. As you can guess from my blog title, play is big news around our place and every day we endeavor to make connections through our play. You are welcome to learn more about us and the great stuff we do through Facebook and Instagram.

I’m sharing 10 great tips with you today for getting ready for back to school and making a smooth transition from summer vacation mode to school mode.

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please see my disclosure policy.

10 Tips to Survive the Back to School Transition

1. Organize School Clutter

We live in a small home and it has been a mission with a family of six to keep the clutter to a minimum and things organised. But my main priority is to create a home that we want to be in! A place that is calm and peaceful. A warm and friendly place. I have created this school work station to help maintain and streamline the bits and pieces that come home everyday. Krissy (of B-Inspired Mama) also shared her new small home homework zone.

2. Revive the Morning Rhythm

Getting ready for school and getting out the door can be a struggle for many families. We keep it flowing with a rhythm that begins before the kids are out of bed. First of all I need to fill my Mama tank to set myself up for a great day. Then its onto the chores and preparing the kids for their day. To ensure that chaos doesn’t break out when it comes time to use our one and only bathroom by six family members, we cater for this in our rhythm and a timer! The first one to finish breakfast gets the bathroom first, then chores are given out to those that are waiting and we rotate through. These great morning routine hacks in this post from Krissy that might help, too.

3. Establish an Afternoon Rhythm

This time of the day can be CRAZY for many families. We have established an afternoon rhythm to help us make the most of this important time of the day, after school has finished. We provide a balance to and supplement the kids education with something we call Nature Adventurers. It is child interest based and enables the kids to explore topics of interest beyond the confines and restrictions of the classroom. You can also learn how many other moms handle after school routines in this post from Krissy.

4. Lasso Your Evening Rhythm

Kids are getting pretty over it by now, so a simple evening rhythm has saved our sanity many times. With three children all sleeping in the same room having a bedtime rhythm ensures that each evening flows along and each child has their love and attention tank filled before going to sleep.

5. Snuggle Into a Bedtime Rhythm

When the day is over and it is time to tuck the kids into bed, is one of our favorite times. Here’s some simple ideas to make it a special moment between you. And here are some sleep tips for kids, too.

6. Plan a Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Rhythm

Make a list of activities that you want to do on a daily basis, then make a list of activities that are done on a weekly basis during the school year. Assign your weekly activities to each day of the week. Look at your daily activities and put them into an order that would work for your day. You can see ours here. Try to establish a rhythm that allows for free time and protect that space from being filled with activity. Kids and parents need breathing space. Avoid over scheduling. See Tip 10!

It is a great idea to get out the calendar and the school calendar, then mark in important events, festivals and seasonal activities that will occur over the year. Make a plan in the month the celebration occurs to prepare and get the kids involved in the preparations. My biggest tip that has helped me the most is plans are more likely to happen if they are scheduled in!

7. Bring In A Housework Rhythm

After the holidays you may be looking forward to taking control of the home again! A good rhythm will make housework feel manageable. At Playful Matters we have encouraged the kids to be involved in housework since they first showed interest. We are currently implementing a Saturday Home Blessing with great success and I am working on a way that the kids can learn about money and saving by implementing a pocket money system. It is important to our family that the kids do chores that are not paid, such as self-care tasks but then there are chores they will earn pocket money for. It is a work in progress but I am looking forward to sharing what we come up with!

8. First Day Thoughts

Make a plan for the first day of school. It doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact simple traditions are often the best. Some things to think about: Are the kids counting down to it? What is your vision for the first day of school? What traditions if any, make this a special day for you and the kids? What do you need to prepare?

9. Menu Plan

I love having a full menu plan. Caring for a family of six takes quite a mental toll so having a menu plan that tells me what we’re having for breakfast, snacks, lunch and dinner means I don’t have think about it! I pack lunch for my three youngest children everyday, whether they are attending that day or not. Having a menu plan means I know what we’re having for dinner and need to organize for lunches in advance. With a little preparation on the weekend and after the weekly shop I can have many of the items needed for the lunch boxes ready to go.

10. Keep Play Sacred

During the break, there was plenty of unscheduled time, now the kids are back in school it is important to schedule in unscheduled time…sounds contradictory doesn’t it, but stay with me here. Too often kids are rushed from adult-led activity to adult-led activity, kids need time to just daydream, be bored and play in a variety of ways. Over on playful matters we encourage four types of play – exploratory, tactile, creative and dramatic play.

What are your back to school tips that have helped start the new school year off on the right foot? Tell us about them in the comments below!

Amie is a busy mama to four kids.  She shares inspiration to play, create and learn with kids at Playful Matters.  Her playful inspiration can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Back to School Resources from B-Inspired Mama:

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This post may contain affiliate links.  Please see my disclosure policy.